Orinda's housing stock is unusually confident — estate Mediterranean, Tudor revival, and hillside modern, most of it set back far enough that the gate carries the entire first impression. Clients here almost always ask to see a rendering and a finish sample before committing, and we build the process around that: 3D elevation first, physical sample left outdoors for a week, then fabrication.
Our Orinda custom gate process starts with an on-site consultation. We measure the opening, study the architecture, photograph the surrounding hardscape, and walk you through material and joinery options that will read with your home. From there we deliver a rendered design, a fixed-price quote, and a build schedule.
Materials we work with most often in Orinda include Sapele mahogany (Janka 1,510), white oak, ipe, and western red cedar — paired with hot-rolled or blackened steel framing and marine-grade bronze or stainless hardware. Every joint is mortise-and-tenon with drawbore pins, and every panel is finished with a UV-stable penetrating oil chosen for the local climate.
We build single and double swing gates, sliding gates, bi-fold gates, pedestrian entry gates, and matching courtyard or garden gates. Most Orinda clients commission a primary driveway gate plus a coordinated walk gate or garden gate so the entrance reads as one composition.
Lead time on a custom build is typically six to twelve weeks from approved design. Installation usually takes two to four days on site, including post-set, gate hanging, automation wiring (if applicable), and final finish touch-up.
Estate-scale Mediterranean, Tudor revival, and modern hillside homes dominate Orinda's tree-lined private drives. Coastal fog rolls in over the Berkeley Hills, then bakes off by mid-morning — finishes must handle both UV and dew cycling without cupping.
Three renderings, one finish sample left outside through a fog cycle, then eight weeks in the shop. The arch radius was set off the home's entry portico so the two curves agree from the street.
Built to match a 1931 front door we could not touch. We took the clavos spacing off the original and had matching heads forged rather than approximating with catalog hardware.
The owners wanted to see who was at the gate without a camera. A single quatrefoil opening at head height solved it, and picked up the same motif from the home's stair balustrade.
The signature Orinda commission: an arched Sapele leaf with a hand-forged iron grille at the upper third, so the gate reads solid from the road but lets light and view through at eye height.
Tudor-revival homes here want heavy vertical boards, exposed clavos, and oversized strap hinges. We forge the straps rather than buying stamped stock; the difference is obvious at three feet and invisible at thirty, which is exactly why it matters on a Tudor.
The contemporary hillside rebuilds want an unbroken plane with a hidden frame. We laminate a steel armature behind the Sapele so the face can stay flat and unbraced over a 9' leaf.
"We compared three builders. Heartwood was the only one who showed up with a 3D rendering and a finish sample we could leave outside for a week. Three years in and the gate still looks new."
Heartwood Gates is headquartered in Concord, CA, roughly 11 miles from Orinda. We serve the whole of Contra Costa County within a 150-mile service radius of the shop, with a dedicated install crew on the road most weeks.
Pedestrian and garden gates start around $4,500. Custom driveway gates typically range $12,000–$45,000 depending on size, material, automation, and hardware. Estate-grade builds in Orinda can exceed $75,000. Every quote is fixed-price after the design is approved.
Six to twelve weeks from approved design to installation, depending on workshop schedule and material lead time. Rush builds are possible for established clients.
Yes. Every gate is built in our Concord workshop and installed by our own crew — post-set, hanging, automation wiring, and final finish touch-up all handled in-house.
Browse all custom gate services, see the full Bay Area service map, or view recent custom gates projects in the gallery.
Browse the full Heartwood Gates journal for materials, joinery, and design deep-dives from projects across Northern California.
Tell us about the entrance you want to build. We respond same-day to consultations booked before 2pm, next business day after.
